Why Sikhs bear steel
QUESTION What article of faith requires male Sikhs to wear a dagger? The Sikh faith is the world’s fifth largest religion, with more than 25 million devotees. It was founded in 1469 by Guru Nanak. A main tenet is adherence in the teachings of the religion’s founders, The Ten Gurus, from 1469 to 1708.
Guru Gobind Singh called upon all dedicated members of the Sikh brotherhood and sisterhood (called the Khalsa) to wear the five articles, called
Kakkars or Five Ks, following their Amrit initiation into the faith. These 5Ks are in themselves articles or demonstrations of faith.
Sikhs who are initiated into the Khalsa commit to follow the rehat maryada, or Sikh code of conduct. This includes a daily discipline of meditation and prayer and the wearing of the Five Ks to demonstrate their faith. They are: 1. Kesh: Uncut hair symbolising acceptance of God’s will. The hair must be kept covered at all times with a keski or dastaar (turban or head covering), representing spiritual wisdom. 2. Kangha: A wooden comb representing self-discipline, worn in the hair to keep it in place. 3. Kara: An iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist. The circle signifies the oneness and eternity of God. 4. Kachhera: A cotton undergarment representing high moral character and restraint. 5. Kirpan: A stylised representation of a sword, 6 in to 9 in long. It must be worn sheathed, restrained in a cloth belt and next to the body. The kirpan signifies the duty of a Sikh to stand up against injustice. The Punjabi word kirpan has two roots: kirpa, meaning mercy, and aanaa, meaning honour. J. Singh, Peterborough.
QUESTION Were leaves on the line a problem during the age of steam?
No, ANd for two reasons. First, because of the way the driving force is applied to move the whole train.
This is best illustrated by comparing a steam locomotive pulling a number of coaches with a modern electric multiple unit (eMU). The steam loco has to apply all the driving force to pull the entire train of coaches through the wheels on the loco itself.
A steam loco is heavy anyway, but if it weren’t, weight would have to be added or the driving wheels would simply spin without moving the train (as can happen if the driver opens the regulator too far when starting off).
An eMU doesn’t have a separate loco. Instead, the electric motors that drive the wheels are distributed among the carriages, and the drive can be applied to all the wheels on each carriage.
Because the carriages with their electric motors are much lighter than a steam locomotive, the weight on each driving wheel is far less than on a steam locomotive. This is an advantage because it means less track wear and tear. But if the track is contaminated with something — such as wet leaves — the greater weight of the steam loco can squash through them and grip the track. The lighter eMU, though, might simply spin its wheels and not move the train.
Both types of train have means for sprinkling sand on the track to improve the grip, but this works better on the heavier steam engine.
The second reason is that rail companies once employed gangs of men to cut down trackside vegetation to prevent sparks from the steam engines causing fires, particularly on embankments and in cuttings. Although it was not appreciated at the time, this also reduced the risk of getting leaves on the line.
In these more ecologically sensitive times, rail companies have to tread a fine line between keeping the trains running and destroying increasingly threatened wildlife habitats.
Denis Sharp, Hailsham, E. Sussex.
QUESTION When was Blue Nun wine first produced? Has it always been made using the same grapes?
FUrTher to the earlier answer, while The Beatles were recording the George harrison song Long, Long, Long in 1968, which appeared on the White Album, a bottle of Blue Nun was on top of a Leslie speaker during the recording.
Paul McCartney was playing organ on the song, and a note started the speaker vibrating and the bottle rattling. You can hear it at the very end of the track.
Richard Myers, Dagenham, Essex.
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